In this post I am going to describe the best places to visit in Porto if you come for a few days. I have tried to choose the most popular spots as well as some “hidden” treasures that Porto offers. I hope you will enjoy them all 🙂
- Ribeira – The most famous and iconic place in Porto by riverside Douro surrounded by typical colorful houses.
- Ponte D. Luis I – The famous “Eiffel tower” bridge constructed by Théophile Seyrig, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel. He won the competition to build a bridge beating Gustave Eiffel whose project was rejected. The bridge was built between 1881 – 1886.
- Estação de São Bento – The famous tiles train station being one of the main train stations in Porto that still operates.
- Igreja do Carmo – A beautiful Rococo tile-covered church right next to the rectorate of Porto University.
- Sé do Porto – Also known as the Porto Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church and one of the city’s oldest monuments.
- Aliados square with City Hall – The main avenue and the center of the city.
- Torre dos Clérigos – One of the symbols of the city. Though in my opinion not worth it to pay 5 euros entry fee to climb the stairs up. I would rather enjoy the view to the tower from the nearby roof terrace Praça de Lisboa with the charming scenery of olive trees.
- Livraria Lello e Irmão – The famous “Harry Potter” bookstore. Though J. K. Rowling claims she has never visited it. It is beautiful but in my opinion a bit overrated and became too much tourist – long queues to entry for a fee of 5 euros (though deducted from the price of book upon purchase).
- Rua de Santa Catarina – Rua de Santa Catarina is one of the most famous streets in Porto known mainly as the main shopping street. But not everything in Santa Catarina is about shopping, there are also restaurants, cafés and a couple of very popular tiled façade churches. Must visits in Rua de Santa Catarina are the Majestic café famous for its beautiful façade and Capela das Almas – a tile-covered church.
- Estádio do Dragão – The football stadium of FC Porto built before the Euro 2004.
- Matosinhos beach – The main city beach with the fisherman net “the Anemone” and Cheese castle “Castelo do Queijo” and with plenty of surfing schools.
- Foz do Douro – The place where the river Douro meets the Atlantic ocean with a cute lighthouse.
- Parque da cidade do Porto – The only urban park in Europe facing the sea occupying a total of 83 hectares and approximately 10 km of paths.
- Parque das Virtudes – A small park with an outstanding view over the Douro. If you are lucky for the sunset it is one of the best spots to watch it in the city. Currently, many people gather there for a talk, picnic or just to chill.
- Jardim do Morro – A park located on the other side of the river called Vila Nova da Gaia. It is one of the main spots to watch the sunset.
- Jardins do Palácio de Cristal – Another lovely park in the heart of the city with a stunning view over the Douro and Arrábida bridge. There are also some wild peacocks and chickens living there.
- Parque de Serralves – Located right in the very heart of Porto, Serralves Park extends beyond Casa de Serralves across 18 hectares, including gardens, copses, a rose garden and a Romantic lake, to provide the ideal refuge for anyone wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Another reason to visit the park is the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art.
